Reform Programme for the Planning System

A major reform programme for the planning system in Northern Ireland, encompassing the structural changes announced under the Review of Public Administration (RPA), is currently being taken forward by Environment Minister Alex Attwood and planning officials.

The comprehensive programme of reform for the planning system was originally announced in November 2007 and incorporates a range of medium to long-term measures designed to address all the key management elements of the planning system including development plans, policy and development management.

The NI Executive agreed to the final policy proposals for reform of the planning system in February 2010, including the measures necessary to transfer the majority of planning functions to the new District Councils under the RPA. The then Environment Minister outlined the final planning reform policy proposals to the Assembly on 2 March 2010. The formal Government response to the consultation exercise, including a summary of the reform measures to be adopted as agreed by the Executive, was published on 26 March 2010 and can be downloaded via the link below.

The Planning Bill was introduced into the Assembly on 6 December 2010.  The Bill completed its Final Stage on 23 March 2011 and received Royal Assent on 4 May 2011.

The Act will provide for the transfer of the majority of planning functions from central government to district councils within a timetable to be agreed by the Executive. It also brings forward a number of reforms to the planning system.

Links to the Planning Act and the Explanatory Notes prepared by the Department are provided below in order to assist the reader of the Act. The Notes do not form part of the Act and have not been endorsed by the NI Assembly. The Notes should be read in conjunction with the Act.

This section of the website will include further updates in relation to local government reorganisation.

The Review of Public Administration (RPA), lauched by the Northern Ireland Executive in June 2002, represents a fundamental change programme in itself and the transfer of planning functions under RPA is being taken forward by the Department as an integral part of the reform programme.

As part of RPA the bulk of planning functions will no longer rest with the Department. Instead these powers will be devolved to district councils which, through their elected representatives, will be responsible and accountable for most planning decisions.  The transfer of most planning functions to new district councils does not just involve the redistribution of functions but includes the creation of a new planning system for Northern Ireland: requiring new roles, responsibilities and relationships for all those involved in the planning process.

The Environment Minister’s announcement in March 2008 indicated that functions would transfer to 11 newly created local government districts by 2011. However at a special meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive on 14th June, Executive Ministers were not able to come to an agreement on the way forward for local government reform, which means the new councils will not be created in May 2011 as had previously been envisaged under RPA, nor will functions be transferred to them at this point.

However, although the recommendations of RPA will not be implemented in May 2011, the Minister has nevertheless consistently indicated that he remains committed to the process of local government reform and he has circulated a draft paper to the Executive setting out a number of options for the timetable for re-organisation.

The Department of the Environment published a consultation paper on 30 November 2010 entitled ‘Local Government Reform – Consultation on Policy Proposals ( 239 KB)’. The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on proposals aimed at modernising and strengthening local democracy. The Consultation closed on the 11 March 2011 and proposals will, in due course, be translated into a draft Bill for the Assembly to consider.

This will be for the new Executive to decide on the way forward, however the Minister's preference was for bringing the 11 councils into shadow form in 2014 with the full transfer of powers in April 2015.

The Minister has stated that he does not propose to transfer Planning ahead of local government re-organisation legislation.

Further information on RPA and Local Government Reform can be obtained from the following websites: